Tour Captain's Report, by Ted Crum

It’s axiomatic that nothing brings a crowd like free beer, and the Oktoberfest that Dan put together on October 24 proved it’s still true. Or it could have been the great catering, huge campground, the big fire pit with hardwood cut by Mike Huntzinger and hauled by Andy Anderson… I’m pretty sure most of the 91 (!) attendees had a good time.

After securing the Rancho Seco site 6 months ahead, I planned a tour that included a stop at Clearwater Lights, whose bright spots and Free Lunch (at their open house) seem popular with our riders. The route started up Highway 160 from the Railroad Café in Livermore with 18 riders, the redoubtable John Ellis riding sweep. Hwy 160 was single-lane at Threemile Slough, but my circumnavigation of Sherman Island paid off by putting us at the head of the line where a cooperative CHP unit and a friendly flagger (I think they all ride) put us on our way. We stayed at Clearwater until the raffle proved a Norcal bust, then took a loop through Gold Country that carefully avoided the great roads that Russ used last month, coming to camp via Shingle Springs, Plymouth and Ione. Highlight: Salmon Falls Rd.

Our next, December 5, tour will be to Plaskett Creek, on the coast between Big Sur and San Simeon, with Joyce Samson conducting while I cruise the QM2 to England (cheap in winter.) There has been a change in the January campout. The site we had planned for at Laguna Seca will be closed for the off season, and the staff decided (they didn’t mention it before) that only 2 bikes can park on a 32-foot RV pad. The Jan 30 meeting is moved to Arroyo Seco, site of the ’13 freeze out. As Arlo said, I was “runnin’ out of time.”

February 27 is Fremont Peak, March 26 (25-27) is Furnace Creek, April 23 is Orland Buttes at Black Butte Lake (named after a favorite beer, NOT in Lassen.) The June 25 Annual (election) meeting is TBA, but probably at Manchester KOA.